يَسقيكَ مِن مُزنِ الحَيا القَطّار

يا تونِسٌ يا جَنَّةَ الأَقطارِ

He waters you from the springs of life O Tunisia, O paradise of countries

O Kaaba of joy, O garden of pleasure, O flower of the world and sweet home

يا كَعبَةَ الأَفراحِ يا رَوضَ الرضى

يا زَهرَةَ الدُنيا وَطيبَ الدارِ

Honor it with a sublime residence and dwelling

Where all the great men gather

أَكرِم بِها مِن مَنزِلٍ وَمَحَلَّةٍ

فيهِ تَجَمَّعُ جُملَةُ الأَوطارِ

And settle in a land, if you visit it

You gain what is secret and public

وَتَحل مِن أَرضٍ إِذا ما زُرتَها

تَحظى بِما في السِرِّ وَالإِظهارِ

And if you want generosity and its people

Head to the abode of the messenger of great men

وَإِذا أَرَدتَ المَكرُماتِ وَأَهلَها

فاِقصُد مَقامَ مُبَلِّغِ الأَوطارِ

The supreme master, the intimate Mustafa

Treasure of Sultans and registrar of endowments

السَيِّدِ الأَسمى المُقَرّبِ مُصطَفى

كَنزِ السَلاطينِ وَخازِ ندّارِ

Chief of ministry, its cave and pillar

Mountain of dignity and dawn of good tidings

صَدر الوِزارَةِ كَهفُها وَعَميدُها

طَودُ الوَقارِ وَفَجرُ الاستِبشارِ

Of insight, lion’s resolve, and virtues

That rise above the moons

ذو الرأيِ وَالنَظَرِ الأَسَدِّ وَهِمَّةٍ

وَمَحاسِنٍ تَعلو عَلى الأَقمارِ

Like a sword, fair before use or after

From its polish or its sharp cutting edge

كالسَيفِ يَحسُنُ مَنظَراً أَو مَخبَراً

مِن صَقلِهِ أَو حَدِّهِ البتّارِ

You see him like a garden in its first youth

That came to blossom with the breeze of flowers

وَتَراهُ مِثلَ الرَوضِ باكَرَهُ الحَيا

فَغَدا يَنِمّ بِنَفحَةِ الأَزهارِ

Tell the pretender to cut his poetizing short

You cannot encompass the pomp of the snarling lion

قُل لِلمُحاوِلِ شأوَهُ أَقصِر فَما

تَسطيعُ شأوَ غَضَنفَرٍ هَصّارِ

And let him who recites his eulogies in verse

And tries to limit his eminence in poetry

وَلِمَن يُرَنِّمُ شِعرَهُ بِمَديحهِ

وَيَرومُ حَصرَ عُلاهُ بالأَشعارِ

You pretender to encompass a drop of the sea

Or count the stars in prevailing darkness

أَنتَ المُحاوِلُ حَصرَ قُطرِ البَحرِ أَو

عَدَّ النُجومِ لَدى الظَلامِ الساري

O Master, time rejoiced at his wearing

The auspicious and sweet-scented robes

يا سَيِّداً فَرِحَ الزَمانُ بلُبسهِ

للحُلَةِ المَيمونَة المِعطارِ

And you came down from the eternal abode as an eminent counsel

With supreme rank and immeasurable worth

وَحَلَلتَ مِن خَلَدِ المُشيرِ بِمَنزِلٍ

سامي المَكانَةِ شامِخِ المِقدارِ

Shade of God and pillar of the two abodes is one

Whose gifts suffice without rain

ظِلّ الإِلَهِ وَعُمدَةُ الدارَينِ مَن

تُغني عَطاياهُ عَنِ الأَمطارِ

The exalted Pasha Ahmad

Crown of the caliphate, everlasting works

السَيِّدُ الباش المُعَظَّمُ أَحمَدٌ

تاجُ الخِلافَة خالِدُ الآثارِ

Protector of Islam’s sanctuary, its savior

Whose glory endures through the ages

حاي حِمى الإِسلام مُنجِدُ أَهله

مَن مَجدُهُ باقٍ عَلى الأَعصار

My tryst’s time eluded me, and I came to you

With glad tidings to the extent possible

قَد فاتَني سرّ الشُهود بِمَوعد

وَافاكَ بِالبُشرى عَلى مِقدار

So I grew from my joy and longing a flower

To convey to you the witnessed excuses

فَأنَبتُ مِن فَرَحي وَشَوقي غادَةً

نُبدي لَكَ المَشهودَ مِن أَعذاري

From a burdened mind and the right of one who turns

Away from you to be struck by the darkness of thoughts

مِن خاطِرٍ مُضنىً وَحُقّ لِمَن نأى

عَنكُم يُصابُ بِظُلمَة الأَفكارِ

Since you are my sun in time and my pillar

And destination of my hopes and pole of my orbit

إِذ أَنتَ شَمسي في الزَمان وَعُمدَتي

وَمَحَل آمالي وَقُطبُ مَداري

So may God protect your glory and help you

With fortune in revenue and expenditure

فاللَه يَحفَظُ عِزَّكُم وَيُمدكُم

بالسَعدِ في الإِيراد وَالإِصدار

And make your glory last and raise your worth

And lengthen your bliss in the noblest abode

وَيُديمُ مَجدَكُم وَيُعلي قَدرَكُم

وَيُطيلُ أَنسَكَ في أَجَلَّ قَرّار

By Muhammad, his family, and companions

And people of his emigration, and the Helpers

بِمُحَمَّدٍ وَبآله وَبصَحبِهِ

وَبأهلِ هِجرَتِهِ مَعَ الأَنصار